Resources

Funder Initiatives to Foster Investigator and Community Research Partnerships [Spring 2025 HRA Members Meeting, March 10, 2025]

This session provided lessons learned from the development of funding initiatives to promote and support investigator and community partnerships. Speakers discussed specific tips for developing funding opportunities, novel programmatic elements, how to foster equal and mutually beneficial partnerships, and where feasible, the results of the partnerships. The session demonstrated patient/community-driven organization value to institutions, gathered a cadre of resources for partnerships, and provided community perspectives on what communities need from funders and academic institutions.

Resources

Moderator

Amber Haley, PhD, MPH
Associate Director, Systems Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research, PCORI

Speakers

Kim Lezak, PhD
Managing Director of Biomedical Research Grantmaking, Health Resources in Action

Dr. Kim Lezak joined HRiA in 2018 and manages the team of staff supporting biomedical research investments. She provides strategic scientific consulting in the performance of investment strategic planning, completion of landscape scans and program evaluations, designing and operationalizing new investment strategies, and facilitation of subject matter expertise grant review panels. In addition to grantmaking, Dr. Lezak has worked with clients in the establishment of research centers, research coalitions, and learning communities.  Prior to this role she spent over 10 years conducting neuroscience research related to the biological underpinnings of stress-related psychiatric illnesses.

Heather Caine
National Director, Research and Grants Administration, American Heart Association

Heather is a seasoned research and grants administration leader with over 15 years of experience driving strategic initiatives in healthcare and clinical research. As the National Director of Research & Grants Administration at the American Heart Association, Heather oversees multimillion-dollar research networks, spearheading process improvements, post-award management, and stakeholder engagement. With a proven track record of leading and mentoring high-performing teams, Heather has played a pivotal role in shaping the administration of innovative cardiovascular and public health research. A subject matter expert in grants management systems, Heather has guided system design, development, and implementations for the AHA’s Strategic Network Awards portfolio. With background spanning clinical trials, regulatory affairs, and research coordination, she brings a wealth of expertise in optimizing research operations and advancing scientific innovation. Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Houston and certified as a Clinical Research Professional with the Society of Clinical Research Associates. 

Lisa Puglisi, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Yale University

Lisa Puglisi, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Yale University where she practices primary care and addiction medicine. She is the director of Transitions Clinic-New Haven, a multi-disciplinary clinic that is part of a national network of programs that focus on care of individuals who are returning to the community from incarceration. Her clinical practice includes treatment of addiction and hepatitis C in primary care and she also oversees a medical legal partnership. She has developed specific skills in training, hiring and supervising community health workers and directing interdisciplinary teams of physicians, midlevel providers, community health workers, research personnel and legal colleagues around the work of clinical care and research to improve the health of people with recent incarceration. She is originally from the New Haven area and deeply committed to the community. Lisa received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University, her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her medical training at Yale New Haven Hospital.

William Basel
Vice President of Program Strategy and Impact, JustLeadershipUSA

A proven servant leader over his work career, Bill Basel is Vice President of Program Strategy and Impact at JustLeadershipUSA, which is a role that develops program strategy aligned with JLUSA’s strategic plan and provides oversight of program design, delivery, quality assurance, and evaluation. Bill provides support to the JLUSA Executive Team and Organization Directors as a thought partner, strategic advisor, capacity builder, and interdepartmental project manager. In the VP of Program Strategy and Impact role, Bill leads the JLUSA Leadership Training Institute and related programs that provide Directly Impacted people across the nation with the expertise & skills needed to become effective leaders, while ensuring that all programs are planned and delivered in compliance with International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) standards.

Prior to coming onboard at JLUSA in September 2022, Bill held various roles at Towards Employment, a leading workforce development organization in Northeast Ohio that connects people – a majority of which have been involved in the criminal justice system – to career pathways. Bill provided oversight for career pathway programming, training, and other barrier-removal related services. A major component of this role was developing strong relationships with other nonprofits, government agencies, credential training providers, and local employers. Bill also has career experience in K-12 education, having served as a teacher and school administrator. A resident of the Cleveland, Ohio area, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master’s of Arts in Education Administration.

Stefânia Forner, PhD
Director, Medical & Scientific Relations, Alzheimer’s Association

Stefânia Forner, Ph.D., is director, Medical & Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association. In this role, she oversees a portfolio of the Association’s Medical and Scientific grants team. As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, the Association is currently investing more than $405 million in over 1,100 active best-of-field projects in 56 countries, spanning six continents. 

She provides leadership to the International Research Grant Program (IRGP), which funds investigations to advance our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, identify new treatment strategies, improve care for people with dementia, and further our knowledge of brain health and disease prevention. She also oversees numerous fellowship programs, including the Zenith Fellows Program and the Global Health Leaders Program alongside the Global Brain Health Institute and Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom.Representing the Alzheimer’s Association, Dr. Forner serves as member of the Board for Healther Research Alliance (HRA) and as a co-chair of the Research Workforce and Early Career Development Learning Community of HRA, which works to foster “an equitable, diverse, motivated and healthy research workforce.” She is passionate about helping early career investigators to advance in the field through the development of resources such as webinars about the Association’s funding programs and networking opportunities for awardees.Dr. Forner holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in pharmacology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Dr. Forner did her postdoctoral training at University of California, Irvine.

Shireen Javandel
Assistant Director for Operations & Impact, Global Brain Health Institute, UC San Francisco

Shireen provides oversight for resource allocation, risk mitigation, budgeting, and logistics for the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. She oversees GBHI’s growing impact portfolio in partnership with Global Atlantic Fellows and UCSF Memory and Aging Center faculty. In particular, she provides leadership for the Pilot Program for Global Brain Health Leaders and the Capacity Building in International Dementia Research Program, in close partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association.